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Robert E. Lee Memorial (Roanoke, Virginia)

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Coordinates: 37°16′14″N 79°56′43″W / 37.27053°N 79.94526°W / 37.27053; -79.94526
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Robert E. Lee Memorial
Map
37°16′14″N 79°56′43″W / 37.27053°N 79.94526°W / 37.27053; -79.94526
LocationRoanoke, Virginia
TypeMemorial
Height10 feet
Opening dateOctober 1960
Dedicated toRobert E. Lee
Dismantled dateJuly 22, 2020 (2020-07-22)

The Robert E. Lee Memorial was a monument commemorating Robert E. Lee, formerly installed in Roanoke, Virginia's Lee Plaza. The stone memorial was approximately 10 feet (3.0 m) tall, and was erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in the fall of 1960,[1] just as the first two black students were enrolled in the all-white school system. The monument's erection coincided with the run up to the centennial of the Civil War in 1961.

In June 2020, the Roanoke City Council voted to start the legal process to remove the monument and rename Lee Plaza after the July 1, 2020 date when a new state law did away with the prohibition against removing monuments to the Confederate States of America.[2]

On just before midnight July 22, 2020, the monument was found to be torn down and broken into two pieces.[3] A 70-year-old man named William Foreman, who was caught vandalizing the monument the night before it was torn down, was arrested on July 24, 2020, and eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.[4] Lee Plaza was renamed Lacks Plaza after Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman whose cells are the source of the first immortalized human cell line, and who was born in Roanoke.[5] A statue of Lacks was unveiled in the plaza on October 4, 2023.[6]

Evergreen Burial Park submitted a proposal to the Roanoke City Council, to relocate the monument to the burial park that was accepted by the council. The proposed location for the re-erecting the statue is at the east end of the park adjacent to the flagpole dedicated to the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Smith, Samantha (2020-07-23). "Robert E. Lee Memorial in downtown Roanoke found knocked over". WSLS. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  2. ^ Berrier Jr, Ralph (June 5, 2020). "Council majority supports removing Roanoke's memorial to Robert E. Lee, renaming plaza". Roanoke Times. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  3. ^ "City leaders react to damage to Roanoke Robert e. Lee Memorial; police say it appears intentional". 23 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Man arrested for damage to Roanoke Robert e. Lee monument". 24 July 2020.
  5. ^ Heyward, Giulia (December 22, 2022). "Henrietta Lacks' hometown will build statue of her to replace Robert E. Lee monument". National Public Radio. Archived from the original on October 25, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  6. ^ "'She literally changed the world': Henrietta Lacks honored with statue at new Lacks Plaza". WRIC ABC 8News. 2023-10-05. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  7. ^ Williamson, Shayne Dwyer, Lindsey Kennett, Jeff (2020-09-21). "Roanoke's Lee Monument will be moved to Evergreen Burial Park". WSLS. Retrieved 2024-01-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)


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